Cape volleyball close but loses to unbeaten Indian River

Can you dig it? Cape and Indian River battled through a five-game volleyball match Sept. 19 at Cape’s Big House. The Indians came back from two games down to win the deciding game 15-10 to go 3-0 on the season.

Cape is a young and emerging team that is almost there. The Vikings fell to 0-3 on the season.

The game was highlighted by setters and big hitters on each side of the net, but it’s the diggers in the back that keep hope alive.

Jessica Amezcus from Indian River was credited with 11 digs, many on would-be kill shots powered into her zone by Cape’s Sophia Spinelli, who had 18 kills for the game. She was often set up by Logan Shuttleworth, who tallied an incredible 26 assists along the front line.

“Sophie has stepped up for us this season,” Cape coach Tyler Coupe said. “She's not used to being the physical leader of a team, but is transitioning nicely into being our reliable go-to hitter.”

Cape freshman Emily Lamb was credited with 23 digs for Cape, dealing all game with Indian River’s sensational freshman Raychel Ehlers, who had 20 kills for the game. She was set up by Mckenzie Johnson’s 30 assists.

“The Indian River freshman is legit,” Coupe said of Ehlers. “She's a third-team all-state player, without a doubt, and for a freshman and coming from down here, that's amazing. She's going to be a force to reckon with for the next couple years.” 

Indian River has a great chance to win its next four games before hosting unbeaten Delmarva Christian Tuesday, Oct. 3, and no one could have seen that marquee matchup looming before the season.

Cape will host Archmere at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 23. The Auks are 3-1, including a 3-0 win at Smyrna Sept. 8. The Eagles beat Cape 3-0, but the games were close.

Coupe reflected on his team’s 0-3 start after the game.

“[Lamb] gets better each time she steps on the court and doesn't seem to be fazed by anything,” he said. “Her dad, Dion, runs the Beacon program. This is Mikiyah's [Ennals] third year with us, and I see it finally clicking for her. She's understanding things that she hasn’t in years past and is putting them to good use. We are a young team who has a load of potential going forward. That being said, we have enough talent right now to win games, but we need to do a better job executing our game plan and terminating points. Our JV team has me extremely excited for the future, as I think there's a ton of talent that is getting better each match.”